This Songwriting Contest Agreement (“Agreement”) is made and entered into on (DATE) by and between The Victoria Hockey Legacy Society (VHLS) (“Organizer”), having its principal office in Victoria, BC and the undersigned participant (“Contestant”) collectively referred to as the “Parties”.

Contest Overview
The Organizer is conducting a songwriting contest (“Contest”) in Canada.  The Contestant has voluntarily entered the Contest to compete for prizes as outlined below, and by entering, agrees to comply with the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

Eligibility
To be eligible to participate, the Contestant must meet the following requirements:

• Be a legal resident of Canada and reside on Vancouver Island or one of the Gulf Islands
• Songs must be hockey-centric, based on the Victoria Cougars winning the Holy Grail of Cups in Victoria 100 years ago.
• The song submission CAN NOT include the words “Stanley Cup”.
• The contest is open to songwriters who are 19 years of age or older on the date of song submission. Any entrant who is a minor will be required to obtain and submit written permission from his or her parent or legal guardian to participate in the contest.
• There is no fee to enter the contest
• Only songs submitted can be played on stage should you be chosen as a semi-finalist
• For the purposes of the competition, a song must have both lyrics and music. All submitted songs must be original, unpublished (or self-published) songs that have been written or co-written by the entrant(s) and shall not infringe any copyrights or any other rights of any third parties
• For competition purposes, an unpublished song is defined as being recorded and self-released by the entrant(s) and/or not co-published by a commercially active music publisher.
• Co-writers are subject to the same eligibility criteria.
• Submit an original song in accordance with the submission guidelines provided by the Organizer.

Contest Submission and Guidelines

Contestants must submit an original song in audio format (.MOV, .MPEG4, .MP4, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEGPS, .FLV, 3GPP, WebM, and DNxHR.) via the VHLS website:  www.vhls.ca no later than Midnight on February 28, 2025.

The song must be an original, unpublished musical composition and the Contestant must own all rights to the song and any associated materials.  The Contestant retains the copyright but gives usage rights to the Victoria Hockey Legacy Society for a period of one year as well as selective reoccurring dates.

Theme is Victoria’s hockey history – 100th anniversary of Hockey’s Holy Grail win – see below for further details.

The song must not violate any third-party intellectual property rights (including but not limited to copyrights, trademarks, or patents).

Submissions must comply with the following technical specifications:

• No shorter than 2 minutes – no longer than 4 minutes
• Song lyrics must be family friendly.  All entries will be considered however submissions which have lyrics deemed inappropriate for family listening by the judges/event organizers shall be disqualified.
• Post a video or audio recording on YouTube – be sure that your post is set to PUBLIC or the judges will not be able to see it and your entry will not be considered. Go to www.vhls.ca, click on the Songwriting Contest tab and fill out the form.  Please submit your lyrics as well. All songs must be original music/lyrics and can be any genre
• Only one song per artist/band
• The song/submission CAN NOT include the words “Stanley Cup” and any that do will be disqualified from the contest.
• Three semi-finalists will be selected and must be available to play on stage at the Bard and Banker on March 27th between 7pm and 11pm and the winner must also be available on March 30th between 11am and 2pm at the Hockey Hub band stand in Oak Bay to play the winning song.
• Performers will be expected to bring their own equipment, backline needs will be coordinated with venue
• Sound check time will be sent to all finalists
• Each band will be allowed to play 3 songs of their choosing and then return back on stage to play contest entry song
• Submission of an entry to the Contest signifies that you have read and agreed to the Contest Agreement/Rules and Regulations located on the VHLS.CA website. By registering and submitting an entry to the Contest through the Website or any other electronic platform, you agree that the act of submitting the entry to the Contest is a binding form of your electronic signature, which you agree binds you to these Contest Rules.
• Judging and Winners
• A panel of judges (Including Ed Bain from The Q/CHEK TV, Matt Johnson, drummer from 54 40 and Kelly Kurta, the GM of the Greater Victoria Festival Society) selected by the Organizer will review all entries based on creativity, originality, composition, lyrics, melody and overall appeal and select 3 semi-finalists.
• The 3 semi-finalists will be notified by email and confirm availability to play at the Bard and Banker on Thursday, March 27th, 2025 between 7pm and 11pm.
• The 3 semi-finalists will perform a total of 4 songs.  Three of the songs so the audience gets to know you and the contest entry song, back to back with the other finalists in front of the live audience.
• Your song cannot be modified, changed or substituted once submitted.
• The winner will be selected by the audience on the night of March 27th, 2025.
• Judges evaluate songs based on the universal hallmarks of songwriting excellence; engaging lyrics, creative use of language, memorable melodies, and overall songwriting technique.   NOTE:  Judges will focus on the quality of the songwriting only, not on the performance or quality of the recording.
• The Contestant acknowledges that all judging decisions are final and binding.

Prizes

The Contest offers the following prizes

• Each semi-finalist band will be paid a sum of one $500 amount for performing the night of March 27th
• The winning artist/band will receive: One $500 amount for performing on March 30th, 2025 and one $5000 amount for winning the contest

Rights and Ownership

• The Contestant retains the copyright but gives usage rights to the Victoria Hockey Legacy Society for a period of one year as well as selective reoccurring dates.
• By entering the Contest, the Contestant grants the Organizer a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the song for promotional purposes related to the Contest (e.g., posting on the Organizer’s website, social media, marketing materials, etc)>
• The Contestant agrees that their song may be showcased in media outlets for publicity purposes but will retain full ownership of the song.

Privacy and Personal Information

• The Organizer will collect and use the Contestant’s personal information (such as name, address and contact information) solely for the purposes of the Contest, including notification of winners and distribution of prizes.
• The Contestant consents to the use of their name, likeness, and submission materials in promotional materials without additional compensation

Disqualification

• Any Contestant who violates these Terms and Conditions, provides false information, or engages in any fraudulent activity will be disqualified from the Contest.
• The Organizer reserves the right to disqualify any entry or participant for any reason, at its sole discretion.

Limitations of Liability

• The Organizer is not responsible for any technical issues, errors, or delays that may occur during the submission or judging process.
• In no event shall the Organizer be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from participation in the Contest.

Governing Law

• This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Canada without regard to its conflict of law principles.

Miscellaneous

• The Organizer reserves the right to cancel or modify the Contest at any time for any reason.
• Any changes to the Contest rules or prizes will be posted on the Organizer’s website or other appropriate communication channels.
• This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding between the Parties and supersedes all prior discussions or agreements.
• By entering the Contest, the Contestant agrees to the terms outlined in this Agreement.

HOCKEY’S HOLY GRAIL FACTS/SONGWRITING GUIDANCE

• Why celebrate the Victoria Cougars’ win of The Cup? You tell us.
  Why does a trophy that was won a century ago still resonate so vibrantly in our region today?
  The leagues have changed but the Cougars name has endured, adding more legendary stories over the decades. Still, it is the connection to Lord Stanley’s mug that makes Greater Victoria’s adoration of the Cougars eternal.
  The most coveted trophy in hockey is a lot of things.
• It is the oldest trophy among pro sports in North America.
• It is a symbol of excellence that grows with the decades, from its beginnings as a bowl to its current configuration of uneven bands that makes it three feet tall.
• It is also exceptionally difficult to win, with no Canadian team hoisting the Cup in the 21st century so far.
• The last was the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.
• Engraved on the bands of the cup are the names of players, teams and cities that have earned the rare right of being called Champions.
• The Victoria Cougars won the iconic prize 100 years ago and one of two teams listed on the First Ring of the Cup, along with the Montreal Wanderers who were 1926 champions.
• The design, history and elegance of the Cup make it the most beautiful trophy in sport, overshadowing all other championship trophies.
• Total Number of Individuals Currently Engraved on Cup: 2,603
• Total Number of Individuals Engraved on Cup Including Retired Bands: 3,489
• First Team to Engrave its Roster: 1906-07 Montreal Wanderers
• Year When Engraving Roster Became Annual Tradition: 1924
• Three days of celebrations planned for March 27, 29 and March 30th, 2025 to commemorate Victoria’s hockey legacy
• In 1925, the Western Canada Hockey League’s Victoria Cougars faced the National Hockey League’s Montreal Canadiens in a four-game series. Victoria won its first game at Patrick Arena, which used to exist on the corner of Cadboro Bay Road and Epworth Street in Oak Bay. Montreal tied the series at Vancouver’s Denman Arena but the Cougars prevailed in games three and four at home in Oak Bay.
• The Century Celebration is being planned by the Victoria Hockey Legacy Society, which hosted the highly successful Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada in downtown Victoria earlier this year.
• The VHLS will host activities in Oak Bay and across the region — including a procession — leading up to and throughout the weekend of March 27, March 29, March 30, 2025. Organizers are also working to facilitate an appearance by the Cup for public viewing.